Crossing Dangers
by adriatic-air
Summary: The vampire and the werewolf. Age-old enemies. Naruto is the lone traveler, fighting to stop the fighting, a being powerful enough to overcome both breeds. Sasuke is his vampiric companion, picked up during one of his travels. NaruSasu.
1. Chapter 1: Naruto: Hunter or the Hunted

_**Crossing Dangers**_ - A Naruto fanfic

by adriatic-air

**Chapter 1: Naruto – Hunter or the Hunted?**

The sun was shining high above in the noon sky, sending its deadly, heated rays down into what was known as the planet earth. The largest star in the galaxy was long ago worshipped by ancient human religions for its life-giving energy, and later on the humans harnessed this energy as a source of solar power to run their appliances. But for now, the earth's main occupants fervently despised the sun.

Naruto was okay with it, though. He felt the sweltering heat all through the double layers of his black shirt and fishnet vest, black leather trousers and dark crimson trench coat, but other than that, he was doing just fine with the sun out.

Which was more than could be said for most of the other night creatures. They were all shut in coffins and underground holes at this time of the day, hiding from the deadly ultraviolet rays. It was the main reason why Naruto liked the day. Because they weren't there, thus making the day much more peaceful than the night.

He traipsed casually through the soft white sand of the desert, looking out for any signs of fights the night before. Damn, the vampire and werewolf breeds were so hot blooded. Every single night, Naruto came upon at least one huge cross-battle, and he had to use all means necessary to stop them.

Naruto hated violence, as a rule. But he dealt with it all the time anyway. It was only through violence that he could settle all the violence anyway. It sounded like he was contradicting himself, but it simply meant Naruto hated to see vampires and werewolves at each others throats all the damn time much more than he hated violence.

He was a peacemaker. One that brought peace to others… okay so maybe sometimes he exacerbated those fights just by showing up, but still, in his heart, he wanted peace. He really wished he didn't need to see blood flying every which way each night.

Naruto stopped as he caught sight of something lying on the sand. To the untrained eye, it might have seemed like there was nothing lying there. But to Naruto, there was a pile of gray ash, of a slightly different shade from the sand around it, lying on the sand. It had a vaguely humanoid shape to it. Naruto bent down, grasped a handful of the ash, and let it fall through his fingers, the wind scattering it in a small arc of gray particles.

"May your soul rest in peace," Naruto muttered quietly, before scattering more of the ash in the wind. He wasn't a superstitious guy by nature, but he'd heard somewhere that vampires could come back in worse forms if the ash of their bodies were not scattered soon after their release from this world. So every time he encountered a pile of dead vampire, he would scatter its ash. He'd rather not take the chance of encountering a ghost vampire, thank you very much.

As Naruto scabbed around in the sand around it, his hand hit something hard, as he thought it would. He wrapped his fingers around the object, which was burning hot, and pulled it out of the sand. It was a silver stake, warmed by the sun's rays, and must have found its mark to the vampire's heart the night before.

Naruto held the stake up to the sun, and admired it. It was made of pure silver, and there were tiny rubies embedded in it. Engraved along one end was one world: _Helsin_. So it was a royal weapon, and came from the House of Helsin itself. The equivalent of werewolf royalty.

Naruto chuckled to himself, then pocketed the weapon. He had an entire collection of weapons from the House of Helsin, most of them stakes, robbed from the dead after battles like these. Seeing as the werewolves' only true enemies were the vampires, it wasn't surprising most of their weapons were stakes. Naruto had heard a myth that lycans and vampires could be burned by silver, once. He'd laughed his butt off when he heard it. Utter bullshit. The royal families had a tendency to make their weapons from silver because they were vain. How could they have used weapons that _hurt_ them?

Since the stake had come from the House of Helsin, the battle last night must have been between the two royal houses of both breeds. Naruto sobered and frowned. He hated fights like these. Not only were they the hardest to be stopped in his natural form, there was also the fact that both parties would undoubtedly be after him.

The royal families had wanted his life for as long as he could remember. So long, that he was used to it.

Naruto looked about him surreptitiously. These vampires and werewolves were close by. The vampiric ash that'd been left to fester in the sand suggested that the fight hadn't ended. Usually, members of the royal house tended to clean up after themselves, and left no remains of the battle behind. This time, they'd probably been interrupted mid-battle by the rising of the sun.

Which meant they were currently slumbering somewhere beneath Naruto's feet deep in the sand now, having dug holes to escape the sun's rays. It was a sinister thought. Naruto sure didn't want to be around when they woke up and poked their grisly heads out. But he marked the place in his head, anyway. He would be back tonight.

To stop them killing each other.

Then he walked on, the wind blowing sprays of sand at his face and body. He could taste grit on his tongue, and lifted his black muffler to shield his face from the sand. His windpipe might get choked up with it and he could suffocate to death if he wasn't careful. There were plenty of cases like these occurring in the desert.

Naruto's stomach growled loudly in the surrounding emptiness, reminding him he hadn't eaten in months. As a rule, he hated eating too, but now he would have to find some food, or the hunger pangs would interfere with his fighting later tonight. A rabbit or two could go a long way. If there were any left in this godforsaken land.

Naruto stilled in the middle of the desert and concentrated hard. He could hear things a long way off if he cared to. A few meters away, deep in the sand, there were two tiny heartbeats. Rabbits. He pounced on them, reaching through the layers of sand that separated them from him, and broke their necks. The little creatures died instantly.

Squatting on the ground, Naruto held up the carcasses to his face and wrinkled his nose. The rabbits dangled lifelessly before his eyes. "Ugh." He really didn't want to skin these things himself. There would be too much blood. There was, however, someone who could do it for him.

* * *

Sasuke's eyes snapped open in the darkness, the red of his irises flaring up like two tiny flames. It was that time of the day again. Time to wake up. For a moment he almost panicked, then he remembered where he was. Oh, right. He was stuck in the middle of the desert again. He wasn't accustomed to sleeping in the wilderness, for god's sake.

Slowly, he reached out and sifted the sand away from him, scrabbling upwards to the air above. He broke free to the surface, took a huge gulp of the fresh night air, and looked about him blearily. He'd risen early today, just as he'd planned. The sun had barely set, and the sky above was streaked with brilliant hues of pink, gold and orange.

The motorbike was close by too, in the exact same position it was in when Sasuke had gone to bed this morning. Good. That meant Naruto hadn't gone anywhere far. Slowly, he stepped out of his makeshift tomb, and the sand fell in little rivulets out of his hair and clothes, pooling at his feet. Dammit, how did all that sand get in anyway? Sasuke supposed he fidgeted a lot in his sleep, but _still_. Unbuckling his knee-length black boots, he emptied out the sand that had miraculously gathered there during the day before slipping into them on again.

Now, where was his blond-haired companion? The guy had a habit of wandering off by himself. More often than not, he couldn't be found with his motorbike when Sasuke woke up. Sasuke walked lazily in a random direction from his resting place, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. It was so troublesome, having to look for him every day.

"Naruto?" Sasuke called out. Ah, there he was. Lying ten feet away, spread-eagled on the sand, his red coat billowing slightly in the wind. Sasuke ran up to him, then stopped short. Naruto was fast asleep, head tilted at a slight angle, and soft snores issuing from his mouth. He looked tempting. Sasuke smirked.

Using all the grace of the vampire that he was, Sasuke crept stealthily up to the sleeping guy and planted both feet on either side of his hips. Glancing down to make sure Naruto was still deep in sleep, he lowered himself onto Naruto, so that he was now straddling his hips comfortably. Then he ran his hands teasingly inside the black shirt, up the tan body, relishing the feel of the cool skin beneath his hands. Naruto shifted slightly, but didn't wake. So Sasuke leaned forward, putting all his weight on Naruto's chest, and whispered as seductively as he could, in his ear.

"Good evening, Naruto."

The eyelids fluttered open, confusion evident in the startling blue eyes. Sasuke didn't give Naruto time to react, before lunging down and shoving his tongue down his throat. Naruto moaned loudly into the kiss, awake at once, and devoured Sasuke's lips hungrily, before rolling to trap Sasuke underneath him. They kissed passionately with a thoroughness for several long minutes, before Naruto broke away, panting heavily, his body on fire.

"Sasuke, I need to eat."

"Then, go eat." Sasuke said, and he pulled Naruto towards him, kissing him once more. Naruto moaned again around the hot tongue in his mouth, and indulged Sasuke for a few more minutes, but when Sasuke began to unzip his leather pants for him and reach inside, he got up off him, pulling a surprised Sasuke to his feet in one fluid movement. With his other hand, he zipped up his pants with snap. Then Naruto smiled.

"Evening, Sasuke," he said mischievously, to the scowling vampire, not letting go of his hand. "Don't you look sexy tonight." It wasn't a question.

"Then fuck me already," Sasuke said sullenly, his face a perfect picture of gorgeousness. Naruto almost tackled him to the ground then and there, but he restrained himself.

"I will, later on. But now, I got a job for you," Naruto said, looking away to clear his head. Damn, but Sasuke was really, really tempting. Those black leather shorts hugged his ass in a way that left no room for imagination, and revealed his pale, endlessly long legs perfectly. And those knee-length boots he wore! Naruto suspected he had a fetish for buckles and boots; he got horny just looking at them clinging to Sasuke's legs. Waist up, Sasuke wore nothing but a black vest over a fishnet shirt, with a steel tag on a chain hung around his neck, which had "No. 237" engraved on it.

Number 237. It denoted Sasuke's number when he was working in the palace of the royal vampire family. He was a renegade vampire guard, run away for reasons of his own. And now, he was with Naruto. Naruto didn't know the palace guard uniform was meant to be so sexy.

"What?" Sasuke asked, eyes lighting up, in response to Naruto's previous comment.

"Will you…" Naruto turned behind him, then whipped out the two rabbits he'd killed earlier that day. "…cook these for me?"

Naruto knew the guy would be pissed, but he wasn't prepared for the intensity of the glare Sasuke leveled him. "Fuck off," Sasuke said, and stomped back in the direction of Naruto's bike, arms crossed and nose in the air.

"Awww, pretty, pretty please, Sasuke?" Naruto said, catching up with him and dancing around him, slinging an arm around his slim, pale shoulders. Naruto had no idea how Sasuke managed to still look pretty when he was mad, but he was doing a good job of it.

"No." Sasuke sniffed.

That was when Naruto suddenly ran in front of him, grabbed him by the shoulders, and lowered his face to Sasuke's so that they were eye to eye. "I said, _please_, Sasuke," Naruto uttered, his voice lowering by several octaves.

And just like that, Sasuke relented. "I don't know what you'll do without me," he said huffily, snatching the rabbits from Naruto. "But I'm pretty sure you wouldn't eat at all." Then he stomped away from the blond to prepare the meal. Naruto let him go. They both knew Naruto hated the sight of blood anywhere else except on the battlefield.

"You're absolutely right, Sasuke," Naruto said in a whisper. "In more ways than one." Then he walked off in the opposite direction to sharpen the blades in his array of weaponry, with a little more vigor than was needed to.

An hour later, Sasuke appeared, just as Naruto was polishing his blades for the ten-thousandth time. "Dinner is ready, _master_," he said sarcastically, arms folded, posing in a way that was deliberately (in Naruto's eyes) suggestive.

"I thank you for it, Number 237," Naruto replied, and this time he did tackle Sasuke to the sandy ground, and kiss him with such ferocity that they were both breathless within seconds. Naruto moved on to nip roughly at Sasuke's neck area, inducing more moans, and slowly pulled down the zipper of his vest.

"Naruto… don't… stop…" And just as the words left Sasuke's mouth, Naruto stopped, rolling off him and getting to his feet. "Damn you!" That jerk!

Sasuke pulled a dagger from his boot and lunged at Naruto. It was made of silver, encrusted with emeralds, and would hurt very, very bad if it pierced Naruto's skin. No matter. Sasuke was furious. The dagger made a hissing sound as it cut through the air, inches from Naruto's face. The blond jumped out of the way in the nick of time, laughing madly, then ran like the wind towards where the food was stewing in its pot, while Sasuke chased him in a fine rage, shouting curses at his back.

Naruto had just finished spooning every bit of stew from the pot into a metal bowl, when Sasuke came into view.

"Thanks, Sas –" Before Naruto could complete his sentence, a glint caught his eye, and a silver blade flew straight through the air at him. Naruto's mouth fell open in horror as the blade headed right at him. There was no way to stop it. Sasuke couldn't be serious, it was going to pierce… And then Naruto ducked, the blade whistling harmlessly above him, slicing off a lock of his hair. "Dammit, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled.

The disturbingly gorgeous, raven-haired vampire smirked as he walked slowly up to him. "Oh, did I scare you?"

Naruto grumbled something unrecognizable in response, retrieved the dagger from the sand behind him, and flung it at Sasuke, who caught it deftly, before digging into his food. "You _bastard_. Any more of that, and I'll leave you."

"You won't," Sasuke said sweetly, going to sit beside Naruto, and curling a bare, white arm about his chest.

"And how do you know that?" Naruto growled, deliberately avoiding the vampire's eyes, and shoveling food into his mouth. He knew what Sasuke was doing, of course, and he wasn't going to give in.

"Well…" Sasuke slid effortlessly into Naruto's lap, and knocked the empty bowl from his hands, forcing Naruto to look up at him. "Just because." Then he pushed his stiffening erection at Naruto's crotch, causing the blond to go glaze-eyed for a moment. Exactly the reaction he was looking for.

"Sasuke," Naruto said. "I have another fight to stop tonight. It's…" Sasuke rubbed against him, harder this time, pushing their erections together, and Naruto swallowed a moan. "hmm… ah… between the royal houses of the vampires and werewolves."

"Is that so?" Sasuke breathed, wrapping his arms around Naruto's neck. "Then I regret to inform you that I cannot accompany you tonight."

"Fine by me," Naruto said, kissing the beauty before him. Sasuke was hard to ignore. Then he lifted him bodily from his lap and placed him on the sand. "Now be a good boy, Sasuke, I need to leave soon." Naruto slapped himself on the back internally for his self-control.

Sasuke's cheeks were flushed, and he looked disgruntled, but he didn't try to grab Naruto again. "Don't get yourself hurt," he said, sounding uncharacteristically down.

"Who are you talking about, Sasuke?" Naruto laughed. "Because you couldn't have been referring to me. You haven't forgotten who I am, have you?"

"They're from the royal houses tonight," Sasuke said, looking at the ground. "They'll be after you."

"And I will be prepared," Naruto said assuredly. And that was certainly true, judging by the number of weapons he'd managed to cram into the pockets of his trench coat. He'd even hidden a brand new gun in one of them.

"I believe you," Sasuke said. Then he looked up at Naruto, and he was the same old Sasuke again, cocky and full of himself, smirking his characteristic smirk. "I'll see you later tonight. Don't tire yourself out, _master_."

"Again, who are you talking about, Sasuke?" Naruto smirked back. "_I_ have endless stamina. Don't fall asleep waiting for me. And one last thing." Naruto started walking slowly backwards, his eyes trained on Sasuke. "Don't follow me." And with that, he took off into the cool black night, his footfalls making no more noise than gentle thumps in the soft white desert sand.

Sasuke watched him go, a lone figure disappearing from view at high speed. Naruto's magnificent red coat billowed back like a great cape, and he looked like he was flying. Maybe he was. "Vampires don't sleep at night, Naruto." Sasuke said. "Though I wonder sometimes where you get all that energy, since you hardly sleep at all."

* * *

The battle was in full swing by the time Naruto was near enough to see what was going on. He'd spent too much time playing around with Sasuke just now, and the beasts had risen more than an hour ago. The moon was hanging high overhead, casting a silver glow down on the night creatures battling on the sand, illuminating them sufficiently for Naruto to see. Snarls and growls issued from the throats of the great wolves, while the stately vampires cracked their knuckles and bared their bloody fangs.

Naruto hid himself behind a rock to observe the battle. There were five large gray wolves, and five vampires clothed similarly to Sasuke in total, so they were evenly matched. Naruto knew enough about the royal houses to know that these creatures were not of royal blood. Rather, they were soldiers in the employment of the palace, and their skills were higher than the average vampire or werewolf he met on his travels.

Still, they were absolutely no match for him. Naruto was special. He was of a unique breed. He hadn't met his match in battle since twelve years ago. These weaklings were nothing but flies waiting to be swatted away. Naruto could feel his demon blood getting agitated.

He got up from his hiding place behind the rock, and walked towards the rowdy group of creatures, wondering how long it would take for them to notice his presence. The vampires sensed him first, and they stopped their motions abruptly, slinking back together as a group to watch his approach. Their long nails glimmered like glass, and their fiery red eyes fixed upon him warily. The wolves, usually more hotheaded than their cooler counterparts, caught sight of him later, and when they did, the hackles on their back rose, and new growls emerged from their throats.

"Rrrrrrrrrr… it's the hybrrrrrid this time…" the largest wolf growled. "Let me rrrrrrrrrip him to pieces…" He opened his jaw wide and let out a snarl, eyes tiny and bloodshot.

"He is our prey," stated the leader of the vampire group, walking with such grace towards Naruto that it seemed like he was welcoming him, rather than what he was actually intending to do, which was attacking him. "The hybrid has got two hundred million on his head, and I intend earn it." Then he struck out at Naruto with a fearsome yowl, irises flashing a brilliant orange. The edges of his glittering sharp nails left three large rips down the front of Naruto's shirt.

Naruto stumbled backwards, clutching his front. The vampire had missed his bare skin by a millimeter, but he had something to say before anything else happened. "Wait a minute here, guys," he called out, holding up a hand. "I have a _name_. And it's not 'the hybrid'. It's called Naruto. I'll appreciate it if you call me that."

The creatures only let out various snarls, growls and hisses in response, and in unison, all ten of them leaped at him. Naruto sighed, and disappeared into thin air, reappearing somewhere behind them. He hadn't teleported, he'd just moved with such great speed that it seemed like he had. It was almost ironic the way the two breeds could cooperate when it came to matters about him.

If it was a fight they wanted, then a fight Naruto would give them.

Closing his eyes, Naruto concentrated on mustering up the demonic power that lay dormant within him most of the time. He felt his energy levels shoot sky high as his hybrid blood was stirred, rushing from deep within him to the surface in a large torrent, flowing through his veins, enhancing his five senses, causing the physical changes in his appearance to manifest themselves. His irises burned and flashed from blue to blood red, his blond hair grew down his back and was bleached pure white, the fangs in his mouth lengthened to three inches, protruding from his lip, while his nails grew up to half a meter, sharp, deadly and gleaming with black venom, characteristic of the werewolves. Naruto felt his body struggling to change into wolf-form, but he fought against that transformation. He always felt comfortable fighting in a more vampiric state.

"And now," Naruto rasped, spitting the words from his lips in a very different voice from before, as he flexed his long, curved nails. "Are we ready to begin?"

The vampires and werewolves could only stare mutely as Naruto walked towards them, a wild fire dancing in his crimson eyes. Then his mouth slowly widened in a frightening, lazy smile, to show the twin rows of pearl white teeth sharpened to razor points. And they took the cue to run.

* * *

Sasuke's jaw dropped into the sandy dunes of the desert. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. This was utterly insane. Those vampire soldiers had to be Level Fours, at the very least. And those huge, disgusting werewolves were powerful too, but all of them had been dispatched with equal ease. What _was_ Naruto? Who _was_ Naruto? Sasuke had never seen that unfamiliar, dangerous form before. It was enough to send shivers down his spine.

Naruto looked about him slowly, the bloodlust slowly clearing from his mind. He hadn't killed these creatures. He hadn't lost that much control, yet. They were lying in rough circle around him, very much alive, some of them were groaning in intense pain. It was the venom that had got to the vampires. As for the werewolves, Naruto had, for the most part, slammed their skulls into the sand. They'd reverted back to their humanoid forms straight away.

Naruto chuckled, a slow, rumbling sound that erupted from his throat. "You silly creatures of the night," he hissed. "I told you I would prefer it if you got along. But you don't listen, do you? If you insist on fighting, I will take the fight out of you."

He watched them tremble for a moment, feeling and relishing their fear. "Vampires from the House of Ashflang," he said. "The poison will spread and consume your bodies unless you make it back to the palace for the antidote in time. You have three days. Don't underestimate my venom. It cannot be compared to the likes of those werewolves."

"Werewolves, from the House of Helsin, return to your abode if you don't want to feel my wrath again. And to both Houses, tell your Kings they will never have me. I am Naruto, the one and only hybrid of the Vampire and Werewolf, and I am a hunter. I will not be hunted. I will never be captured. Now _get out of my sight_."

In a few seconds, they were gone. Naruto lowered his head finally, and stared down at his hands. His nails were bloody, black and red were running through them, mixing and dripping down, splattering the once pure white sand. He'd transformed tonight. He hadn't used his weapons at all. He had been a true, wild beast tonight – the monster hybrid.

Naruto heard a noise behind him and he turned, baring his fangs in a silent snarl. But it was only Sasuke. Shit. It was the_ Sasuke_. Oh no, dear god… The look in Sasuke's eyes, that told Naruto he knew he'd seen something he wasn't supposed to see, and wished he really hadn't seen was enough the crush Naruto.

"I thought I told you not to follow me," Naruto said, looking into the distance, at the sand behind Sasuke, at the rocks in the desert, at the stars in the sky or anywhere else, except at Sasuke's face. He hadn't wanted Sasuke to find him out like this.

"Naruto…" Sasuke said, and his voice was trembling ever so slightly. "Are you… really a hybrid of a vampire and werewolf?"

"Yes." Naruto said. He could feel himself reverting back to his old form, fangs, nails and hair returned to their original length, his hair became yellow, and his eyes turned back to blue. He averted his gaze. "Why did you come, Sasuke? I didn't want you to see me like this." His own voice sounded oddly hollow to him.

"Naruto…" Sasuke's voice was trembling more than ever, and this time, Naruto looked up in alarm at him. Sasuke's face was stark white, and he looked more shaken than Naruto had ever seen him in his life, even compared to the first time when Naruto met him. "If I… had been one of those vampires in that pack, would you have done the same to me?"

Naruto felt his world tilt. "Sasuke," he said heavily. "I'm sorry you had to witness what happened just now. But it had to be done. They would have fought to the death, otherwise."

Sasuke's chin trembled, and Naruto couldn't help himself. He reached forward to touch his cheek, and Sasuke flinched, moving away. Naruto retracted his hand at once, dropping it to his side. He looked away. Dear god, what had he done to this guy? "Sasuke," Naruto began, desperately, but Sasuke turned and fled from him, leaving Naruto with the emptiest, loneliest feeling he'd ever felt in his entire life.

**-To be continued-**


	2. Chapter 2: And So They Met

**Chapter 2: And So They Met**

And just like that, Naruto was alone again.

For more than a century, the blonde hybrid had roamed the desert lands by himself, a solitary figure that on first sight seemed a harmless, dusty, quiet traveler, but on second and third sights were so much more than what he appeared.

Naruto didn't want to care anymore. Companionship, as he knew it, never lasted. He had already resigned himself to the fate of being a lonely, loveless creature all his long, never-ending life. But then he'd met that beautiful idiot vampire, Sasuke. Fate was a cruel thing. He'd have been much better off not knowing Sasuke at all.

Well, Naruto should have known by now it was 'all too good to last'. He only had himself to blame for hoping this time it was different.

He clawed frantically at the numerous pockets of his coat as his old addiction kicked in. God, he definitely needed a smoke now. He found what he was looking for, lit the cigarette with his innate combustion ability, and took a long, hard drag on it. Oddly enough, he hated himself for doing so. Why couldn't he light up a cigarette like a human? Using a lighter.

Being a cross between a vampire and a werewolf hadn't brought Naruto closer to either of those species. In fact, it was the opposite. The only race Naruto ever felt close to was the human race, which was surprisingly, considering the state of the world they lived in, still alive. Between stopping the fights between the two hot-blooded supernatural breeds, Naruto made friends with the humans whenever he found them. It was easy concealing his identity from them, and humans were trusting creatures. But they never lived long.

Naruto took another hard drag on his cigarette, turning the entire long cylinder to ashes. Shit. He flicked the ashes away and got up abruptly, heading towards his motorbike. Now was the time to find his old friend. He wanted company badly. He was going to hunt her down to the ends of the earth until he found her. Besides, he needed some advice.

On life.

Naruto put the pedal to the metal and took off over the soft sandy dunes of the desert. The wind felt soothing as it rushed against his face, but it did nothing to lift his spirits.

* * *

It was another fiery hot, burning afternoon. It was also dusty. Sand hung in the air as a hot wind blew. Hinata pushed back sweaty midnight locks from her face, and peered out the wooden brown door of the shop. There was no one in sight for miles around. But she couldn't shake off a feeling that something was coming.

"Hinata!" sounded a bossy voice from somewhere within the depths of shop. "Do you see anyone?"

"No…" Hinata said softly, her light gray eyes scanning the landscape before her. There was nothing, except faint tendrils of sand rising in the horizon. She squinted. The tendrils of sand grew bigger. There was someone, or something coming. "Ino," she cried. "You should come and look at this."

A tall, pretty blonde girl who looked to be about seventeen appeared behind her left shoulder. They both stared at the blur which seemed to be traveling across the sand at an amazing speed. A few seconds later, Hinata recognized it, and she gasped.

"Naruto!" She clapped a hand over her mouth.

"What?" Ino asked, pushing past Hinata. "Are you sure?"

There was no doubt about it. Fierce yellow blond hair glinted under the desert sun, the ridiculous red coat billowing like some sort of cape, and huge ass black motorbike. It was Naruto all right. Naruto was back. And he was riding at a devil speed. He pulled up right before the two girls with horrific squeal of tires and a smarmy grin.

"How's it going, ladies?"

Ino shrieked. "You almost knocked us over, you devil-on-wheels!"

"Hello, Naruto," Hinata said shyly.

"I did not!" Naruto looked hurt. "I've practiced that one so many times. Look, it's meant to freak you guys out. Hey, Hinata."

"Like I'm going to believe that," Ino scoffed.

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto said, jumping off his bike. "It's not like you would have died, anyway, if I'd crashed into you. You're a fast healer."

Ino rolled her eyes. "You know how long I'd be out of action if that bike pulverized me? So, why are you here today?"

"Same old, same old, Ino," Naruto said, grinning. "I'm fresh out of supplies. I need more cigs."

Ino laughed. "You gotta be kidding me. When was the last time you dropped by? Forty… fifty years ago? You were in bad shape, then, man… and it didn't have anything to do with cigs."

Something in Naruto's blue eyes turned flinty. "At a hunch, I'd say it was twelve years ago," he said. "And actually, you're right."

Ino turned sober. "So I guess you'll be wanting to see her, then?"

"Yeah. She around?"

"Back of the store." Ino jerked a finger in the direction of the shop's entrance. "She's been waiting for you."

"Thanks, Ino. See you later, Hinata." Naruto gave them a two fingered salute, and made his way into the shop. There was a noticeable drop in temperature once he was inside. The place looked exactly the same since the last time he'd visited. Food, drink, necessities, and …weapons. It was good to see the shop still kept the girls busy these days.

Naruto strode his way to the very back, where a door marked 'PRIVATE' was and entered. He came out in a long corridor with a row of wooden doors, blindingly lighted with white fluorescent bulbs. Naruto knew there shouldn't be electricity in the center of the desert, the same way he knew the little shack of a shop couldn't have housed this entire corridor, but he wasn't really bothered by these. Physics meant nothing here. He walked till the end where he reached the last door, painted red, then knocked and entered.

A girl who looked to be about Ino and Hinata's age swiveled around on a chair and fixed Naruto with a piercing green gaze. A shock of chin-length petal pink curls hugged her oval face attractively. In her hand, she spun a dangerous silver blade, which rather spoiled her ethereal-looking image.

Naruto smiled.

The girl smiled, too. "Something tells me you've been an idiot, Naruto." She raised her arm and flicked her wrist. The blade sliced through the air, parting the crown on the top of Naruto head, and taking a few blond strands with it before landing on the opposite wall.

"That would be your crystal ball, Sakura," Naruto said easily. "So don't pretend you read my mind."

"Actually, I could," the girl named Sakura said. She uncrossed long slender white legs and rose from the chair, coming closer to Naruto. She reached out and touched his face softly. "What's wrong?" she said tremulously. Her face was a picture of innocent beauty.

Naruto blinked, as if to clear his head. Then he stepped away with surprising speed. "Stop that, Sakura. Stop trying to charm me. You know it won't work."

Sakura stepped back, a frown marring her features. "Well, I had to try. It still irks me that you're the only guy who won't fall for this."

Naruto grinned. "You mean there are guys that fall for this? I think you're just jealous."

Sakura sniffed. "Whatever for?"

Naruto winked at her. "You have been observing me in your crystal ball, haven't you? What did it tell you?"

She sighed, and folded her arms. "All right, all right. I'm jealous, maybe. A little. But I couldn't help it. Sasuke's a delicious little thing, all right."

Naruto's head snapped back. "Who? Sasuke? And here I thought you'd been nursing a crush on me all these years."

"Ah, but that was before I laid eyes on that sexy raven-haired vampire." Sakura said, waving a finger. "But don't tell Ino. I want to keep him my private eye candy."

Naruto chuckled. "As if I would have you two squabbling over him like you did over me… don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

Sakura's eyes suddenly turned serious. "So what's up, Naruto? What happened?"

Naruto shrugged nonchalantly. "Didn't your crystal ball tell you?"

"It only shows scenes, Naruto. Split-second images… I want to know the whole tale."

He spread his arms wide. "So, read my mind."

"I think I will. Just try to relax."

"You try to relax when someone's picking your brain."

"Just… shut up."

_**Four nights ago**_

The air was bitingly cold, but it didn't affect Naruto as he sped through the night like a man on a mission. Or a supernatural vampire-werewolf hybrid being on a mission. There was blood in the air, and he could taste it. A cloying scent, sickly sweet. There was no doubt about it. A fight was close, and Naruto intended to stop it. Pulling up a few feet away from the scene, he got off his bike, and stalked towards the disturbance.

As usual, none of them noticed him. Naruto clicked his tongue irritably. The intensity of a fight usually made the vampires and werewolves involved oblivious to the outside world. This was unwise, as Naruto would soon prove to them. Idiots. As he moved closer, Naruto noticed something. There was only a single vampire, who seemed to be beating off several – Naruto made a quick count, eight – werewolves in total. Now that was unusual. Each breed commonly stuck together like sardines in a can, like the cowards they were. It was rare to see a vampire wandering off by himself, and getting ambushed by a pack of werewolves on top of that.

Naruto shook his head. Even so, this one was putting up a good fight. He'd felled one of them already, and was keeping the rest at bay. For the present. Eight against one. It was a no brainer, really. The vampire would be a goner if Naruto didn't happen to pass by. Just like he expected, two werewolves jumped in an arc towards their prey. The vampire lashed out at one of them, but the other caught him from the back. In a flash, the entire pack was on him.

All right. Time for action. Naruto broke into a run, and the blades flew from his hands. Six of them met their targets, hitting the wolves in various limbs. Silver was enough to wound them, but Naruto missed their vitals on purpose. He didn't like to kill. The last two he dispatched with forceful kicks to their rumps. They wouldn't be able to sit for a week, but hey, Naruto didn't care.

He was just in the middle of dispatching the vampire too, when he caught sight of his bloodied face. And stopped short of administering a coma-inducing kick. Losing his balance, he toppled heavily into the sand. As can only be imagined, this happened all too rarely. Naruto looked up in annoyance from a mouthful of sand.

The vampire was breathing heavily, and three ugly slashes decorated his forehead, but there was no mistaking his pretty face. Really, really pretty face. Really, really, really… Okay he had to stop this. Naruto prided himself on being a ladies man. He was only interested in females… more like he wasn't interested in any sex… yeah right.

"So… you got a name?" Naruto asked, grinning, getting up from the sand.

"S-Sasuke," the vampire said, still panting heavily.

Naruto noticed he didn't give his last name, but it didn't matter. He knelt before the hunched figure. "I hope you don't mind my asking, Sasuke, but what are you doing here all alone in the middle of the desert? I'm sure you don't need me to tell you, but without the protection of your …chums, you'll just be fodder for the werewolves."

"I… know that."

Naruto reared back in mock surprise. "You do? Well then, are you suicidal? That's the palace guard uniform, isn't it? Did you run away?"

At his words, the vampire went even paler than he was before, if that was possible. Ah. Bulls eye. Naruto also couldn't help noticing that the wounds were fading from Sasuke's face, leaving his skin smooth and unblemished. It was the color of ivory. He looked like a porcelain doll, stiff yet fragile, a rare ethereal beauty under the moonlight, begging to be touched… Naruto cleared his throat the same moment Sasuke fixed him with his black gaze for the first time. Naruto felt his heart literally stand still.

Those black, obsidian eyes, they were fathomless and deep, Naruto would willingly drown in their depths, he could stare into them all day… What the hell was he thinking?

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked, staring at him in an appraising manner.

Naruto found he looked oddly endearing. Outwardly, he chuckled. "Call me Naruto."

A slow smirk spread across Sasuke's features as he studied the blonde. "Thanks… Naruto. For saving my life."

Was it Naruto or did Sasuke's voice suddenly sound seductive? "It's no problem, Sasuke." Naruto said lightly. His heart beat wildly in his chest, in that moment Sasuke had looked absolutely irresistible. He was going to jump him in a minute if he wasn't careful.

Sasuke got to his feet slowly, and Naruto took full advantage of that to scrutinize him from top to toe. His throat suddenly felt very dry. That was a body to die for. "Naruto…" Sasuke said, as if he'd read his mind. A smile was playing about his lips. He fingered the tag that dangled on a chain around his neck. "How can I ever repay you?" He shifted his gaze to stare into Naruto's blue eyes. The heat in that gaze was unmistakable.

Naruto lost it. In a single bound he had enclosed the vampire in a tight embrace, crushing his lips to the other's with desperate need, and sliding his tongue into Sasuke's mouth. He was hard already. He'd got hard just looking at Sasuke. God, the vampire was gorgeous. Sasuke replied with equal fervor, letting Naruto ravage his mouth and making little moans that went straight to Naruto's groin.

In a second Naruto had pinned the vampire down into the cool sands of the desert, and a hand was pushing down the black leather material that Sasuke wore about his waist. He almost ripped it, in such haste was he. Naruto was painfully, excruciatingly hard, he wanted to take Sasuke already, in the fastest, roughest way possible. He divested himself of his trousers – he'd had no idea they took so long to get off – lifted up Sasuke's long slender legs over his shoulders, and entered him in one smooth stroke. To the hilt. If Sasuke felt any pain, he didn't show it, vampires after all had high tolerance for pain. Instead he'd moaned, which made Naruto start moving within him in fast, rapid strokes. Sasuke was hot, tight and wet from pre-cum. Naruto almost cried in pleasure, his engorged cock did the same. He didn't forget to massage the weeping length that was Sasuke's cock either, and together they gained a nice rhythm.

It lasted about a minute, and then Naruto came, emptying himself into the pale vampire. Sasuke was almost there, and pulling himself out, Naruto bent his lips to the hardened tissue between Sasuke legs and brought it into his mouth. After a few experimental sucks, he swallowed, and Sasuke cried out, arching his back as he came. The jets of semen shot down his throat with speed, and Naruto gasped at the intensity. His head spun.

And then it was over. They collapsed in a panting, exhausted heap on the ground to collect their breath.

"I can't believe I did this in the sand," Sasuke said in an incredulous tone, after a few moments.

Naruto cracked an eye open to look at him, and then he started laughing. He couldn't help himself. Was that all Sasuke had to say? They'd had sex less than ten minutes into their first meeting, it had been a pretty extraordinary experience all round.

Sasuke looked slightly irritated at Naruto's unrestrained peals of laughter. "What's so funny?"

Something in his tone made Naruto stop laughing. For the moment. "Nothing. That was a pretty good repayment, though."

A glint appeared in Sasuke's eyes. "You think so? Well then, are you ready for your _second_ repayment?"

Naruto's eyes widened.

_**Present**  
_  
"Sakura, that's enough." Naruto said with barely restrained embarrassment-induced anger.

The incorrigible girl pouted. "Naruto, you're no fun! I wanna see more!"

"That's _private_," he said snappishly. "Suffice to say, that happened four nights ago, and we parted yesterday. I'm sure you knew about that. You keep track of all my transformations."

"Well… yes." Sakura nodded hesitantly. "Naruto, what do you know about this guy?"

"Eh?" Naruto looked blank.

"What do you know about Sasuke?" she pressed.

He scratched the back of his head. "Uh, he's a vampire. Run away from the royal palace. He used to be a guard."

"And?"

Naruto looked blanker than before. "And what?"

Sakura let a rush of air escape her lips. "You don't know anything about the guy, do you?"

"Uh…"

"You were too busy sexing him up the entire time you guys spent together, weren't you?"

Naruto's eyes widened, his voice gained several octaves in denial. "No! Course not…" Sakura stared hard at him. He stared back at the wall, avoiding her gaze. "I mean, yes…" He continued staring at the wall for awhile, then lowered his gaze, slumping his shoulders.

"But I really liked him."

Sakura was not surprised to hear the tremble in his voice, and see the tears that seeped in from the corner of his eyes. She stepped over to give him a hug.

"I really, really liked him."

The tears were rolling down now, though Naruto's face appeared stone-like, and his body was rigid. He seemed cold within her embrace.

"You'll find him, Naruto," Sakura said.

She sincerely believed he would.

* * *

"Will we see you again, Naruto?" Hinata asked, looking at Naruto with barely-concealed adoration.

Naruto smiled warmly at her. Hinata was a really attractive girl, even beside Sakura and Ino. And she had a nice, quiet personality. How he wished all girls were like that. It was a good thing Ino was held up with some of the victims within the inner reaches of the shop. He never got to talk to Hinata with her around. "Perhaps, Hinata. Maybe in a few decades. You take care of yourself in that time." He grinned, throwing a leg over his motorbike. "Say bye to Ino for me, will ya?"

Hinata's smile wavered, but she bid him a pleasant enough goodbye. With a loud roar and a spatter of sand, the motorbike took off into the sand, and disappeared off into the night.

Naruto had loaded up on all his supplies. With Sakura's vote of confidence ringing in his ears, he felt like he could do anything. Including finding Sasuke. And when he found him, Naruto would make him pay. For making him worry, for taking off so suddenly, for being an insensitive asshole. Although maybe the last part had been understandable. And then he would have a few things to say. Confessions to make. He had to be honest with Sasuke now.

His motorbike hummed gently as it flew over the expanse of desert. He covered miles of sand, and there was nothing in all directions. Nothing except a blurred, lone figure in the distance, but Naruto wouldn't worry about that now. A pleasant few minutes passed. He turned right and accelerated slightly, enjoying the night air – _a lone figure_? Naruto almost shot off his bike in realization. And then he did jump off this bike, leaving it to crash somewhere ahead. He was busy running towards the figure, which hadn't disappeared from his line of sight.

It was a familiar figure.

It was Sasuke.

**-To be continued-**


	3. Chapter 3: Reminiscence

_**Crossing Dangers**_ - A Naruto fanfic

by adriatic-air

_A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I wrestled with writer's block and exams for about six months. 8D_

**Chapter 3: Reminiscence**

Naruto's throat felt strangely dry as he walked towards the person he admittedly regarded as a lover. Although technically he'd been like a four day long fuck buddy more than anything else. Naruto knew practically nothing about this guy, yet when they were apart he was the only thing he could think about. Seeing as how things were between them, he couldn't – he refused to give up on Sasuke yet.

"Sasuke."

"Naruto." The name fell off those pretty red lips smoothly, with no hint of hesitation or fear.

There was a slight pause as they both stared at each other, searching each other's eyes for something only they knew what. Naruto used the moment to scrutinize the dark-haired vampire. Sasuke looked different from the last time he saw him. His face looked pink and more flushed than usual. He resembled a living, breathing, human doll. The vampire couldn't possibly look more desirable in that moment.

And then Naruto realized what was different.

Sasuke had been feeding. In the short span of time they had spent together the previous week, Sasuke had never fed. Not even once. Naruto had never questioned his abstinence to blood. To his knowledge, young vampires needed blood as often as every few hours, and the time interval decreased with age. That didn't stop the old vampires from being killing machines, though. Their thirst for blood may not have been as great compared to the young ones, but the pleasure they got from it was undeniable.

Naruto realized he didn't know how old Sasuke was. Great. Another item to add to the list of things he didn't know, but really should have known about Sasuke. Not for the first time, Sakura's words echoed in his head.

_You don't know anything about the guy, do you?_

They had hurt him a lot more than he let on. Damn witch always knew what to say to get to him.

"Erm… how old are you, Sasuke?" Naruto blurted out.

…Shit. He hadn't meant to say that.

Sasuke looked taken aback. Naruto didn't blame him. He would have been surprised too, if he'd run away and the first thing his lover asked him when he got back was a question completely irrelevant to the topic at hand.

"Two hundred and eighty-eight years old."

"Heh, and I here I was thinking you were an ancient bastard with the face of an angel. So you're just a kid," Naruto joked. …No, that came out wrong again. He wasn't supposed to be having some sort of friendly banter with Sasuke, for gods' sake. He meant to be angry at the asshole for running away without an explanation, and for making him worry for what seemed like the longest time. Angry. "…I mean. Where the hell have you been, you idiot?"

Sasuke looked away and flushed a deeper pink. "Nowhere important. I came back because…" The vampire's face gave an odd spasm as he said the next words, "I missed you."

"What? I didn't quite catch that."

"I said I missed you."

"You missed me."

"Yes."

"Then why the hell did you have to run away?" Naruto yelled, breathing heavily. He didn't know what was wrong with him today, but it was the first time he'd felt so furious with somebody in his life for hurting him. Jesus. He was actually feeling hurt. He thought he'd learnt to block out that emotion eons ago.

"I'm sorry I did that, alright! But how the fuck was I supposed to know who you really were? Don't you know I have lived all my life knowing who you were, knowing what you were notorious for, but never dreaming I would meet you one day on the edge of a desert while being mauled to death by a pack of crazed werewolves after my blood? You saved my goddamned life. You, the hybrid. What you did was a contradiction in so many ways. I could never possibly have guessed at your true identity. It was all so… overwhelming, too overwhelming… when I realized…" Sasuke trailed off, turning his eyes away. He swallowed audibly, falling silent.

The blonde stared at him, momentarily speechless. Sasuke looked so alive and passionate, and the way he'd said it, it sounded like a damn love confession. His brain melted into a puddle of goo as it tried to process the fact that Sasuke had opened up to him in those precious few seconds. He didn't trust himself to speak. Instead, he reached out to cup the young vampire's face, relishing its surprising warmth and softness. The sensitive pale cheek blossomed with color as soon as Naruto's fingers touched the skin.

"There are some things that I didn't… quite tell you about myself. I should have let you know earlier. I'm sorry," Naruto said thickly.

The vampire's head snapped up, and his hopeful expression caused Naruto to crush Sasuke against his chest impulsively, hands roving over the smaller vampire with intensity he'd never felt before. "Sasuke…" He murmured, burying his face in the long, slender neck, breathing in the vampiric scent that was uniquely Sasuke.

_God, how he had missed this man… how he needed to be near him, to feel him…_

"…will you listen to my past if I told you?"

The vampire chuckled, tightening his arms around Naruto's neck. "Do you even need to ask? Of course I would… idiot."

There was a muffled yelp as Naruto slapped the vampire's ass with all his might. And being a super-fucking-natural hybrid, it was safe to say there was a lot of force involved, thus ensuring Sasuke never repeated that pet name ever again, except maybe during sex.

* * *

**_13 years ago_**

There was a high wind blowing in the desert landscape. A sirocco. A deadly wind that reached dangerously high speeds on land and could kill if anyone was unsheltered and left unprotected in its path. In the midst of this natural disturbance, two beings walked. Their hair and clothes were flapping and slapping against their bodies and faces, and everything was a blur of sand and small stones, yet their feet never left the ground.

One walked in its path.

The other walked in its wake.

They walked in opposite directions, towards each other.

Eventually, they would meet.

When the wind had morphed into something that could only be best described as a downsized hurricane, the two of them met at the very center. It was the eye. A small, circular space, with the wind rushing about madly all around them, making a terrific noise that would have scared the hell out of anybody else.

But not these two.

The one with the long blonde tangles spoke first. "I see you haven't been blown to pieces yet." It came out as a growl.

To which the older one with the snowy-white hair replied, "I see you're the one who created this."

The scowl on the blonde one's face grew deeper. "And so what if I did, old man? Who the fuck are you anyway?"

"I am Jiraiya."

"Never heard of him. Doesn't explain anything either."

"I am what you would call a sage."

The blonde snorted. "Man, all you ancient bastards are the same. Are you going to stand there now and give me some sort of stupid lecture? Throwing in wise words and old sayings and all that shit? I'm sick of you people. Will you kindly fuck off already. You see, you're intruding into my personal space."

"I'm not ancient compared to you." The sage that called himself Jiraiya said calmly. "From what I've heard, you've been around since forever. Naruto."

"Who told you my name?" the blonde shot at him.

"You have a reputation."

"I do?" Naruto said mockingly. "My, my, have people been talking about little, ol' me? How terribly touching."

"You've been causing widespread death and destruction for the past …how long has it been? Decade? Century? Millennia? You're practically legend, kid."

Naruto let out a growl deep in his throat at the insult. "You've admitted I'm at least a hundred times older than you, and still you have the nerve to call me a _kid_?"

"Age does not equal maturity." Jiraiya said seriously.

"Shut up if you care about keeping those kidneys of yours intact."

Jiraiya chuckled, and it was so out of place considering the current situation that Naruto slightly thrown off. He wasn't used to people laughing at his threats. This guy was something else.

"I'll like to see you try and get my kidneys. You underestimate me."

"Are you fucking serious?" Naruto didn't bother to conceal his shock because it was obvious the old fart didn't have a chance against him. There was no one who could defeat Naruto. He was either kidding, or completely insane.

"Try me."

He was serious. Naruto frowned. Something wasn't right here. The old man was a bit too confident for Naruto's liking, …but hell if Naruto was going to care. He was a potential victim, and Naruto never turned down victims, especially those that annoyed the hell out of him. "Jiraiya was it?" he muttered. "Well, say goodbye to your life."

Jiraiya smiled. Sick bastard.

Naruto closed his eyes, willing the blood that was boiling just beneath the surface to bubble up and take control of his body. With his emotions raw from the effort of upholding a conversation with another being which hadn't happened since – who knows, Naruto hadn't bothered to count the years – the transformation took less than a minute. He opened his eyes, gleaming blood red now, and looked upon a landscape painted over in a gauzy film of crimson.

The old man stood a few feet away, still looking oddly calm and serene. Naruto felt a pang of irritation at him. How did he manage to stand there so coolly, keeping aloof and self-controlled while looking in the face of death?

Naruto was a being that had never learned to keep his feelings under control. In his heart lay the eternal struggle with himself for peace, self-acceptance and just maybe, love. They were useless feelings that raged within him with a burning intensity, and they consumed him at the worst moments. He wished they would all disappear… just like the man before him, whose existence he was about to erase.

Naruto roared and he felt the blood shooting at astounding speed through his veins. He pounced upon the figure before him, intending to rip out its heart in one swift move.

The figure disappeared.

Naruto landed inches deep in the sand, spattering gritty bits of the stuff a foot high in an arc about him as he fought to brake. His hybrid side was after blood, and there was no stopping him now. A bloodcurdling, scream born from pure frustration tore from his throat. And the salty tang of blood on his tongue almost drove him to the brink of insanity.

He turned to the left and right, red eyes searching the night air wildly, but he could see neither hide nor hair of the white-haired sage. His rage increased tenfold, inducing trembles that rocked his body in violent spasms.

"Looking for me?" a voice said in his ear.

Naruto whipped his head around, drops of venom flying through the air. Black spots hit the sand, leaving smoldering holes in the once smooth desert landscape. But there was no one there.

"Come out and face me, you coward!" Naruto roared.

"But I am right here," came the infuriatingly patient reply, this time in his other ear.

Naruto turned, lightning quick, but still there was nothing but cold night air. "Quit fucking around! You know what I mean!" Naruto hollered, voice going hoarse. "You're a goddamn bloody coward! You do not dare to fight me! You resort to using stupid tricks like these!"

"That's because you're not worth fighting in this state. You're stark raving mad."

Naruto snapped. "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU HEAR ME? COME THE FUCK OUT NOW SO I CAN BEAT YOU FUCKING SENSELESS BEFORE I RIP OUT YOUR GODDAMN GUTS!"

"Never."

As Naruto screamed in pure concentrated rage, he realized something new was happening this time. His thoughts were spiraling out of control and his energy levels were still shooting up. His mind was drawing a complete blank, and it was like he couldn't think anymore. It was incomprehensible, yet strangely surreal… The last thing he saw was a blinding flash of white all about him, and the last thought on his mind was a single word: _Kyuubi_.

And the world as Naruto had known it disappeared from his mind.

* * *

_Damn, the sun is hot today._

That was the first thought that entered Naruto's mind. The next thing that followed was incredible, almost nerve-numbing, excruciating pain. Every part of his body felt as if it had been rubbed raw with sandpaper till it bled. Naruto was on fire. That was the only explanation. He'd lost his powers that allowed him to survive the heat of the sun, and now he was burning up like some regular old vampire or werewolf in the light of the day. He wanted to scream, but his throat felt like it had been washed with acid and he whimpered instead, trying to get his bearings. His eyes snapped open and vision flooded him suddenly.

He realized it was nighttime. He also wasn't burning to death. That was a relief. But what was going on?

"So you're finally awake, kid."

If Naruto had had the capability to do so, he would have screamed in surprise. Instead, he swiveled his gaze around to find the source of the voice. It landed on a white-haired sage sitting on a rock smoking a cigar and looking like he hadn't a single care in the world. At that impossible sight, Naruto wanted to yell out, or at least walk over and punch the man just to make sure he wasn't dreaming. But since he was severely hurt, he could do nothing but stare. He tried to maneuver his features such that they resembled a "what the fuck are u doing here?" look, but that caused him pain, too.

"You must be wondering what happened to you after you blacked out," Jiraiya said calmly.

Naruto gave him a look that clearly said, no shit, Sherlock.

Jiraiya seemed unperturbed. "Alright, it's about time I told you this. You see, Naruto, you are a very interesting specimen."

Naruto raised his eyebrow minutely.

"You are a special product of both the vampire and werewolf breeds," Jiraiya went on, like he was discussing the weather.

Naruto's mouth dropped open. He was a _what_?

"Yes. I've been studying you for a while now. You intrigue me. Have you never found out the reason why the vampires and werewolves were always after you?"

Naruto had to admit he never wondered. He thought it was because they hated him for being what he was. A freak of nature, a being that was too powerful to belong to any side. He was a threat to their ruling power. Whatever it was, Naruto never delved too deeply into their matters. They sickened him because they loathed him. And he would never bother, or even try to understand them.

"You're kidding." Naruto managed to croak out.

"I assure you I most certainly am not. I've done my research exceptionally well."

Naruto's head hurt. This couldn't be true. If he were a product of both breeds, why would they want to murder him? Why would they hate something they created? Why hadn't they mentionedanything remotely close to the fact that they were related in their last hundred clashes or so? It just didn't make sense.

"…But how did I end up like this?" Naruto asked, opting to voice what had been on his mind ever since he regained consciousness.

"Ah. Now that is a delicate question. There are many possibilities of what actually happens, but it is my belief that when the hybrid blood within you is stirred to even greater heights, you will begin to transform. Not the transformation that you usually undergo, but a _further_ transformation. Simply put, you will turn into the Kyuubi."

Naruto had a sudden flashback of the time before he blacked out. There was the word again. Kyuubi. Instantly, he felt a vile heat coursing throughout his body, and he screamed in agony. A liquid fire was eating him inside out. There was something within him! Something alive!

Things happened very quickly after that.

Jiraiya leaped off the rock he was lounging on and slung the dazed blonde, who was writhing in pain, over his back. The next instant, the landscape around them had changed, and Naruto had the strangest sensation of having teleported. They appeared before an oasis, a place that was rare considering the times they lived in, when water was a scarcity. Naruto had no idea how Jiraiya knew how a place like that existed, or how they even got there. But the next thing he knew Jiraiya had sprinted towards the pool of deep blue water and flung him in.

Naruto hit the water and there was an immediate relief to the pain that had been coursing through his veins. The water seemed to neutralize whatever it was that had been surging through him moments earlier. As Naruto sank further into the swirling blue depths, he realized he didn't know what he was anymore. Something had consumed him, or possessed him, in that few moments when Jiraiya mentioned the word

_Kyuubi_

His heart gave a particularly hard thump. It was scary. Something was threatening to break free within him, but it couldn't. It must have been the water that was pressing in on him at all sides. Naruto felt weightless and detached, all of a sudden. Who, or what was Kyuubi? Was it something that existed inside him?

_Have you never noticed me before_

Naruto started. What was that?

_You're slow for such an old one_

Who are you? Naruto tried to scream, but all that happened were bubbles escaping from his mouth.

_You're not so bright are you_

Who are you? Where are you? What are you? Naruto thrashed frantically about in circles, but there was nothing visible around him except the endless water. This was the first time he was starting to feel fear for himself.

_I am Kyuubi_

What the fuck is that?

_I am a part of you_

You have got to be shitting me! Come out! Now!

There was silence now. Naruto sensed that it or he, whatever it was, had gone for the time being. What the hell just happened there? A determination born from adrenaline, frustration and fear gripped Naruto, as he swam upwards and shot out of the water, pulling himself back to land with fierce, fast strokes at a speed he didn't know he had. There was only one person who had all the answers, and Naruto couldn't wait to find them out.

Jiraiya was waiting at the water's edge for him, a strange glint in his eye. "That was quick."

Naruto emerged floundering and sputtering in outrage. "Shut it, old man! What the hell is Kyuubi?" He was trembling all over from a mixture of pain and bewilderment. He wanted answers now. He also was drenched from head to foot, but he didn't care. The pain was starting to come back too.

"Get back in the water." Jiraiya said, indicating behind Naruto with a jerk of his head.

"I mean it!" Naruto hollered, bunching up his fists, then quickly unclenching them. The claws were emerging.

"Naruto, you don't want to transform now. I said, _get back in the water_."

Whether it was shock from hearing such an authoritative voice from the old sage, or the subconscious part of his mind that told him Jiraiya was right, Naruto obeyed.

"Listen, I cannot rightly explain what it is that happens to you when you undergo your hybrid transformations. To date you are the first and last successful spawn of both the vampire and the werewolf. There is very little information about you that still exists. But I do know there is a spirit, or denizen that exists within the hybrid blood. It can manifest itself when the body is sufficiently excited. It can also kill you."

"What?"

"You almost died yesterday. Kyuubi manifested itself for the first time. You went on a mad rampage. You released destructive power that rivaled ten nuclear reaction centers. The power of the Kyuubi nearly destroyed your body. And I barely escaped in time."

Naruto's head was spinning. He always knew he was a destroyer. But this was entirely different. "Just now… Kyuubi sort of spoke to me. In the water."

"It did?" Jiraiya said, looking unsettled for the first time. "You can communicate with it?"

"Yea. But then it disappeared." Naruto looked back up at the man. "Why do you care anyway? Why are you telling me all this? Who are you?"

Jiraiya sighed. "I only want help you. I _can_ help you. You must learn to control your hybrid side if you don't want to die. Another Kyuubi manifestation could kill you."

Naruto was silent. All his life, he had fought against this. He had fought against his true nature, because he hated what he was. But his emotions were too much for him to handle. They always burst up out of him, and he destroyed others in this process, whenever he transformed. The lust for blood was uncontrollable. He fought the vampires and the werewolves because they were after him. Ironically, he had become the perfect destruction machine he never wished to be.

"You don't want this, do you." Jiraiya's voice cut through his thoughts like a knife through butter. "I can teach you to control your emotions."

Naruto nodded.

"I can teach you to fight without losing your mind in the process."

Naruto closed his eyes, relief seeping through him. He almost couldn't believe this was happening. It was exactly he wanted.

"What do you say, kid?"

"Yes. Please."

* * *

It was less than a year later when Naruto found himself looking down at the bloody, mangled body that was below him. It lay spread out on the sand, looking utterly peaceful in death. He could have been sleeping, if Naruto looked at a certain angle. A breeze lifted the snow-white strands of hair across his face. A tear trickled down Naruto's cheek and hit the lined forehead.

"Some sage you are, getting yourself killed." He whispered.

There was red on the sand. It looked so grotesque, like it didn't belong there. Naruto knelt down beside the body, reaching up to touch the face he had known for a brief nine months. They had spent every single day of those nine months together, and for the first time in his long life Naruto truly felt he had a companion. One that understood and helped him along his way. Jiraiya had been a mentor and guide, a shining beacon that had led him out of the darkness that consumed him for so many years.

And now he was gone.

Naruto's gaze turned to the blood in the sand. Jiraiya's blood. There was so much of it everywhere, and he suddenly felt repulsed by it. How could he ever have liked shedding blood? He would never look at the red liquid the same way again. The tears were blurring his vision considerably now, yet Naruto could have sworn that he saw words written in Jiraya's own blood on the sand. He blinked, spilling them onto ground. And he read the last words written by the greatest teacher he ever had:

_Naruto, keep the peace._

There was no question as to what he was referring to. Jiraiya was a great lover of all creatures, vampire, werewolf, and human alike. It was his dream to unite them all, and live with no violence. In his case, it could also be a sign for Naruto to remember his new way of life, to keep peace within himself, and control his hybrid nature.

It was a simple request. And Naruto would fulfill it. But that night, Naruto also conceived of a new goal. The same time Jiraiya died, he had realized something. He had never told the blonde how he came to find him that day in the desert. He had also never mentioned Naruto's origins, though it was strongly implied that he knew something of it. What had previously never bothered the hybrid now began to gnaw at his mind. Who was he really? From whence did he appear?

Naruto was going to find out who his parents were. And if he had to search through the entire records at the royal houses of the vampires and werewolves to do so, by gods, he damn well would.

And this time, he was bringing Sasuke.

**-to be continued-**


End file.
